West Brant residents have an opportunity Thursday to learn more about a housing development being proposed for a vacant property on Colborne Street West.

A Ward 1 meeting to discuss the proposal and address concerns is set for 7 p.m. at St. Theresa School, 12 Dalewood Ave.

"There has been a lot of talk about what might happen and residents in the area have raised a lot of concerns," Ward 1 Coun. Larry Kings said Monday. "People are concerned about traffic congestion and they're also worried about the impact the development could have on wildlife in the area.

"But the plans have changed and this is a chance for residents to see the updated plans and let us know what they think."

The housing development is being proposed by Kingwood Hilltop Estates Ltd. for vacant property at 620 Colborne St. W. that is currently designated greenfield in the city's official plan. The property contains significant wetland and natural woodlot features. Official plan and zoning bylaw amendments are needed to permit the housing use.

The property, which has a frontage of nearly 1.4 kilometres on the south side of Colborne, is bordered to the east by the D'Aubigny Road subdivision and Pleasant Ridge Road to the west.

Plans call for the construction of 73 single-detached dwelling and 79 townhouses with the work being done in two phases. Phase one would see the construction of 10 single-detached dwellings with two blocks for townhouses on the eastern portion of the property, according to information provided by the city.

The second phase would consist of 63 single-detached units and 23 street townhouses.

Mario Lucente, an Evergreen Court resident who has been closely following the proposed development, said that among concerns is the proposed development's impact on the habitat.

"There are people here who are really worried about how this is going to effect the wildlife," said Lucente, who has lived on Evergreen for 28 years. "There's a lot of wildlife, including deer, living in this area and that's part of what makes the area so nice."

Another concern is traffic congestion, he said.

"There are already problems with traffic and adding more homes is only going to make it worse."

Lucente noted that there is no turn lane into the D'Aubigny Road subdivision from Colborne Street West for westbound motorists.

When houses were built on D'Aubigny Road years ago, the city received cash instead of park space for the area. So, children end up playing on the street, he said.

"We're not opposed to development," Lucente said. "We understand that the area can be developed.

"But we've been down this road before and we just want to make sure the development is done properly so we don't end up dealing with a whole lot of other issues that could easily be avoided."

Lucente said he hopes Thursday's meeting is well attended.

The meeting is the second of two being held this week for Ward 1 residents.

On Wednesday, at 7 p.m., at the Lions Park Auditorium, residents will get an update on the city's plans for the Brantford Southern Access Road, or BSAR, which would link West Brant to the Wayne Gretzky Parkway and Highway 403.

Plans to complete the link, which likely would cost about $20 million, have been on the city's agenda for years. The proposed route would put the road through the Glebe Lands - property owned by Six Nations - and behind Pauline Johnson Collegiate.

Opponents of the route have said it would divide neighbourhoods, noting that approval also is needed from Six Nations. There was a deal with the Six Nations elected band council to complete the link but the agreement collapsed when the city failed to meet agreed upon timelines.

However, BSAR proponents argue that West Brant needs a better link to Highway 403 is needed to accommodate what has been the city's fastest growing residential area in recent years.

In 2015, city officials embarked on a study to look at the BSAR and other transportation options.

On Wednesday, residents will get an update on the city's progress, said Kings, who represents the ward with Coun. Rick Weaver.